Herman had an asthma attack while scuba diving. Quite sudden. Quite unexpected. It was the end. To think, he was only sixteen.

His parents had the open coffin in their front living room. His friends from school were all invited to come if they wanted to. They could sit around the coffin and tell stories and play cards and all that. They even brought their sleeping bags and spent the night in Herman’s living room.

Come the funeral, they’d all come to terms with losing their mate. All except for Andy. He was a mess. His parents thought the idea of sitting with an open coffin wasn’t simply stupid, it was insensitive. They forbade Andy from going near Herman’s house.